Page 90 of The Saint

“You ready to go, beautiful?”

Sweetheart. Beautiful.The way he said those words made her feel important. A quake of tenderness skipped over her senses.

She would go anywhere with him. “Absolutely.”

The sound of her confidence was surprising, but by his side, she supposed she could believe anything was possible. Camden slipped his hand around the small of her back and turned them toward Beth. “We’re heading out.”

“Let me know how it goes.”

“Will do.” Calm and collected, Camden led the way out Beth’s apartment door. They were alone, and in a heartbeat, this unflappable man had spun Amelia to the wall. “Jesus fucking Christ, Amelia. We are not getting out of this building until my—”

The elevator dinged, and voices entered their floor. They both held their breaths, not knowing if people would come their way. The voices grew louder. Camden growled, and the intoxicated flutter in her chest flittered. He inched back, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Beth’s hoity-toity neighbors approaching with a fluffy white dog.

“You don’t want to mess up my lipstick anyway,” she said.

“The hell I don’t.” But Camden took her hand with a deep, tested breath.

They passed the neighbors. Even the fluffy dog gave Camden and Amelia the once-over, as though they didn’t approve of the way he had her pushed against the wall and how, with her head tipped back and lips parted, she’d been ready for anything he’d wanted.

He didn’t release her hand on the elevator ride to the lobby until they reached the CIA-chauffeured car service that waited in the horseshoe driveway of Beth’s fancy building.

“Ma’am.” The driver opened the door for Amelia to slide in.

Camden joined her from the opposite side. Between them was the night’s invitation. It was midnight blue with engraved lettering on thick card stock. Delicate silver constellations were etched around the intricate silver words.

The Sapphire Accord cordially invites you to

A Night under the Stars

Share a Celestial and Sensual Evening

on the Third Saturday in November

Black Tie Attire with a Touch of Stardust

No Weapons, Cell Phones, or Recording Devices

No weapons?That wasn’t something she’d ever added to an invitation before. “Are you unarmed?”

“I don’t need a gun to keep you safe.”

She understood that and hadn’t thought he carried a knife or a gun on his person regularly. But maybe that was a foolish assumption. Their safe houses were practically decorated with weapons. Maybe Amelia was oblivious. She certainly had been with Hailey and Jonathan.

She picked up the invitation. Its beveled edges were gilded in silver. “These were handcrafted.”

“I think the Sapphire Accord has a hefty discretionary fund.”

Amelia tried to imagine Esme’s clientele or her guest list.

He took the invitation and stowed it in his inner suit pocket and took her hand again. “It will all work out tonight. Try to have fun.”

She snorted. “You and this dress are about the only fun that will come of tonight.”

“Don’t say that when the party hasn’t even started. Look at it this way: It’s gonna be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.” He shrugged when she didn’t appear to buy into the excitement. “Or you can pick up party tips for events. This’ll be like corporate reconnaissance.”

She side-eyed him but couldn’t keep her worried scowl when he looked at her as though they were going to an amusement park. “All right. I’ll try. What type of work do you usually do?”

“Not this.”

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